Laundry detergent compositions that both clean and soften fabric during a laundering process are known and have been developed and sold by laundry detergent manufacturers for many years. Typically, these laundry detergent compositions comprise components that are capable of providing a fabric-softening benefit to the laundered fabric; such fabric-softening components include silicone.
The use of silicone to provide a fabric-softening benefit to laundered fabric during a laundering process is known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,563 (Busch, A., and Kosmas, S.; The Procter & Gamble Company) describes that specific organo-functional polydialkylsiloxanes can advantageously be incorporated in granular detergents to provide remarkable benefits inclusive of through-the-wash softening and further textile handling improvements. U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,968 (Canivenc, E.; Rhone-Poulenc Chemie) describes a process for the conditioning of textile substrates to allegedly impart a pleasant feel and good hydrophobicity thereto, comprising treating such textile substances with an effective conditioning amount of a specific polydiorganosiloxane. U.S. Pat. No. 4,419,250 (Allen, E., Dillarstone, R., and Reul, J. A.; Colgate-Palmolive Company) describes agglomerated bentonite particles that comprise a salt of a lower alkyl siliconic acid and/or a polymerization product(s) thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,657 (Allen, E., Dillarstone, R., and Reul, J. A.; Colgate-Palmolive Company) describes a particulate heavy-duty laundering and textile-softening composition comprising bentonite clay and a siliconate. U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,477 (Allen, E., Dillarstone, R., and Reul, J. A.; Colgate-Palmolive Company) describes a particulate built synthetic organic detergent composition which includes a dispensing assisting proportion of a siliconate and preferably bentonite as a fabric-softening agent. In another example, EP 0 163 352 (York, D. W.; The Procter & Gamble Company) describes the incorporation of silicone into a clay-containing laundry detergent composition in an attempt to control the excessive suds that are generated by the clay-containing laundry detergent composition during the laundering process. EP 0 381 487 (Biggin, I. S., and Cartwright, P. S.; BP Chemicals Limited) describes an aqueous based liquid detergent formulation comprising clay that is pretreated with a barrier material such as a polysiloxane.
Detergent manufacturers have also attempted to incorporate a silicone, clay and a flocculant in a laundry detergent composition. For example, a fabric treatment composition comprising substituted polysiloxanes, softening clay and a clay flocculant is described in WO92/07927 (Marteleur, C. A. A. V. J., and Convents, A. C.; The Procter & Gamble Company).
More recently, fabric care compositions comprising an organophilic clay and functionalized oil are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,901 B2 (Moorfield, D., and Whilton, N.; Unilever Home & Personal Care USA division of Conopco, Inc.). WO02/092748 (Instone, T. et al; Unilever PLC) describes a granular composition comprising an intimate blend of a non-ionic surfactant and a water-insoluble liquid, which may a silicone, and a granular carrier material, which may be a clay. WO03/055966 (Cocardo, D. M., et al; Hindustain Lever Limited) describes a fabric care composition comprising a solid carrier, which may be a clay, and an anti-wrinkle agent, which may be a silicone.
WO2005/075616, WO2005/075618, WO2005/075619, WO2005/07620, WO2005/075622, WO2007/017799, WO2007/017800 and WO2007/017801 all relate to detergent compositions comprising a silicone fabric softener.
However, whilst these fabric softening agents provide good fabric-softening performance, they have a negative impart on the sudsing profile of the detergent composition. More specifically, the sudsing is prematurely curtailed in the early stages of the washing cycle. Consumers associate the presence of suds with good cleaning performance. Prematurely and drastically reducing the suds during the washing cycle is disliked by consumers and is detrimental to their product acceptance.
The present invention provides a particle that provides a good fabric-softening benefit without significantly affecting the sudsing profile of the laundry detergent composition. The particle can easily be incorporated into laundry detergent compositions, especially solid laundry detergent compositions, or other, e.g. rinse-added, compositions, to provide fabric-softening benefits thereto. Compositions that comprise the particle of the present invention exhibit good fabric-softening performance, and have desirable sudsing profiles that are not detrimental to the consumers' acceptance of the product.
The particle comprises (a) solid film-forming polymeric material, (b) liquid fabric-softening component; and (c) charged polymeric material, preferably that is capable of increasing the viscosity of the film-forming polymer in an aqueous environment.
Without wishing to be bound by theory, the Inventors believe that the charged polymeric material interacts with the solid film-forming polymeric material, likely through an ion-pair formation, so as to form an extended gel structure upon contact with water. This in turn leads to an improved softening performance and also minimizes any impact the softening component may have on the sudsing profile of the composition, especially in the early stages of the washing cycle.